DUBAI, June 28 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf may be modestly firm on Tuesday as global markets stabilise following the shock of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, while hopes that Egypt will obtain a loan from the International Monetary Fund may aid that bourse.

U.S. stock futures are up 0.8 percent, suggesting Wall Street will open stronger, and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan is up 0.1 percent. Brent oil is up 1.6 percent to $47.89 a barrel after dropping 2.6 percent to seven-week lows overnight.

Retail investors bought stocks on dips in most Gulf markets on Monday and this may continue, although trading is expected to be light because of Ramadan and summer holidays.

Egypt's central bank said late on Monday that it could secure some $10 billion from the IMF by agreeing on a structural economic reform programme, but it has yet to make any formal request to do so.

The central bank statement came in response to comments by a cabinet minister, who told Reuters on Monday that Egypt had started negotiations with the IMF last week for a $5 billion loan. The minister said the central bank was leading the talks.

A deal is by no means certain - such talks have faltered in the past - but a serious effort by Egypt to reach an IMF deal would be seen by foreign investors as a major step towards reforming the economy and stabilising the country's external position.

(Reporting by Celine Aswad; Editing by Andrew Torchia) ((celine.aswad@thomsonreuters.com; +971 4 4536886; Reuters Messaging: celine.aswad.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))